He thoroughly enjoyed hosting reunions that brought together dwindling numbers from that 'original' battalion of young studs who fought their way through hell together in the bloody Ia Drang Valley. They have also lived in Altadena, CA and Pasadena, CA.

General An welcomed the Ia Drang veterans to Hanoi and did most of the talking on his side. Plumley received the Doughboy Award in 1999. "Who made you the (expletive) weatherman?" WebSergeant Ernie Savage assumed command after Sergeant's Palmer and Stokes were killed. The West Virginia native, who was born on the first day of 1920, earned the Combat Infantryman Badge in World War II, Korea and Vietnam (where he served two tours.) He attended events at the National Infantry Museum and seemed to fairly tolerate the limelight, such as it was.

At the end of that first day, eight of the platoons 27 men were dead. "He's the kind of hero Hollywood makes movies about.". WebBy 1964 North Vietnam had established the B3 Front in the central highlands of South Vietnam. He was also, in the popular vernacular, a PT beast. Release Dates

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The Defense of Plataea Proved a Textbook Example of How to Survive a Siege. For his "gallantry under relentless enemy fire on an otherwise insignificant knoll in the valley of the Ia Drang," Ernie Savage received the Distinguished Service Cross. Meanwhile, with helicopters constantly dropping off units, Moore manages to secure weak points before the North Vietnamese can take advantage of them. WebSelect this result to view Ernie Roy Savage's phone number, address, and more.

Matt Dillon Clark Gregg Capt.

WebSgt. WebThe President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Clyde E. Savage (RA14746198), Sergeant, U.S. Army, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations involving conflict with an armed hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam. Former B Company 1-7 Cavalry Sgt. Ernie Savage (left) and Dennis Deal talked about their time in the Ia Drang Valley as members of the 7th Cavalry Medal of Honor Recipient retired Col. Walter Joseph Joe Marm, Jr. shared his recollections of the battle and how he continued to battle despite being shot through the jaw. He knew it because he trained most of them himself. Hansen said he was intrigued, some years back, when he came across a mention of "first sergeant" Plumley in a historical book about World War II. At the end of that first day, eight of the platoons 27 men were dead. This ancient Red River Delta capital was bustling and busy where it had been quiet and somnolent on our previous two trips.

The refrain "God may look like Sgt.

(ret.) | (He was awarded the Bronze Star for helping rescue wounded American Soldiers under fire at Landing Zone X-Ray.). Without a lot of what we got from him and the colonel, I know some of us wouldn't be here today. So was he. Within minutes he had ringed the perimeter with well-placed concentrations, some as

"Being second at anything didn't count.

They were agitated and rushed us through the formalities in a matter of minutes.

Joseph L. Galloway. He knew the strengths and weaknesses of his army and the positions. After the French bet everything they owned in Indochina on drawing Giap and his Viet Minh army into a decisive battle in the remote mountain valley, Giap drew a tight cordon around their positions. After retiring from the Army, Herren continued to work at the Pentagon as a civilian employee, while Nadal worked as a human resource officer in several large corporations.

But apparently, Plumley had no issues with Elliott's portrayal. | The three became fast friends and remained close for nearly 50 years. Specialist Galen Bungum Command Sergeant Major (ret.) After Deurice died in May, Plumley said his time was short, he'd be joining her soon. We have had your book translated into Vietnamese and I have read it twice already and will read it again, Phuong told the two of us. Four hundred men. Company Credits Savage didn't frighten easily, but he tended to be overly deferential to anyone "above" him. From those same conversations and our book, the generals knew something about our families as well. "He was all about PT and conditioning, but he'd do everything he expected us to do. -Excerpt from We Are Soldiers Still by Lt. Gen. Harold G. Moore (USA Ret.) Ernie Savage, after retiring from the Army, had remained at Fort Benning, Georgia, as a civilian employee helping train Army Reserve soldiers. Command passed to Sergeant Ernie Savage who called in multiple air strikes around the platoons position. The passage wasn't very clear, just mentioned (Plumley) and something about a German tank," Hansen said. At the museum, with its welcoming array of gray-and-green-painted cannons, antiaircraft guns, and old Russian tanks, we were welcomed by a smiling General Giap. After a good Vietnamese meal of spring rolls, fish, chicken and rice washed down by cold beers, we turned to the obligatory preliminary conversations about families and work and life in general as the hot tea was poured. "We thought he was the dragon, but looking back, I know he was the moderator. Known as "Old Iron Jaw" to his Soldiers, he set his face like flint and led honestly, fairly and occasionally by intimidation, if need be. Over the past few years, Plumley's personality changed noticeably, Galloway said.

Ernie Savage, after retiring from the Army, had remained at Fort Benning, Georgia, as a civilian employee helping train Army Reserve soldiers.

Before we left the United States for Hanoi, the Vietnamese government Foreign Press Office asked if there was anything else we wanted to do or anyone else we wanted to see on our trip. "He always said, 'If you lose a battle, it's the NCOs' fault.'". I am godfather of his daughter and only last month I married her off.

Former B Company 1-7 Cavalry Sgt. The general knew instinctively that there were answers to be found there to questions that haunted us all; that if we hoped to find peace for ourselves and our fallen brothers it would be there among the termite mounds dotting the tangled jungle and tall elephant grass. WebSgt. What are you a fucking weatherman now? It was quiet on the bus as each of us turned to his own thoughts about the dinner and our trip south to the Ia Drang in the morning. He was there; the Politburo was not. "It had too much Hollywood in it. Tony Nadal Jon Hamm Capt. You wrote in your book that our men killed your wounded on the battlefield and this is true. At the outset of the Peloponnesian War the Athenian-allied city-state came under attack from the same Greek forces that a half century earlier had driven off Persian invaders. Nov 15, 1992 WASHINGTON Ernie Savage, sergeant 1st class, U.S. Army, retired, was having a hard time of it. At the end of that first day, eight of the platoons 27 men were dead. His soldiers tunneled and trenched and burrowed in the red earth, drawing the noose ever tighter around the French strongpoints and positions, while the big howitzers were set into positions on the forward slopes of the mountains surrounding the doomed French garrison.

But I explained who he was and reminded them that Sam Elliott played Plumley in the movie. In April 2001, the smoke had finally settled from the exodus of the film crew, the stars and cameras and hangers on who descended on Fort Benning earlier that year to film Hollywood's adaptation of We Were Soldiers.

Maj. Plumley, but he isn't nearly as tough on sins small or large," or some version there of, is commonly used in any discussion involving the man, and it was so long before his death and long before the movie. At one point, my seatmate on the bus, Colonel Thuoc, tapped me on the chest and told me through the interpreter: You have the heart of a soldier. Terry Wrong told us he would like to make a documentary on the battles and the veterans that would involve taking a group of us back to Vietnam and to the battlefields. ", https://www.historynet.com/back-ia-drang/, Jerrie Mock: Record-Breaking American Female Pilot. We always knew the value of prisoners. (ret.) I never knew him to be mean.". The dinner ended early, since we had a 4:15 a.m. wake-up call to catch our flight from Hanoi south to Danang, where our road journey to the Central Highlands would begin. "He was the very essence of a command sergeant major.

There are those who claim, but cannot prove, that he was the only man to claim five combat jumps behind enemy lines. This led to some remarkable exchanges. Without hesitation, Sergeant Major Plumley ran to the stacks and with his bare hands reached into the grenade boxes and grabbed the flare. But he said he had grown increasingly worried that such an attack would play into the hands of the French; that his artillery was vulnerable to the big guns of the French, and to launch human-wave attacks would destroy much of the force so carefully built and trained over the last 10 years, with no hope of replacements for the terrible losses he would suffer in such an attack. The second best result is Ernie Sawasy age 80+ in Woodland Hills, CA in the Woodland Hills neighborhood. When we walked up the ramp we were stunned to be welcomed by a large table of Vietnamese war veterans who regularly gather there to talk of old times over a good meal. You killed my best friend. "I carried the bucket in that conversation. WebSgt. (ret.) Command ultimately fell to Ernie Savage, who led the platoon through the rest of the battle. Command ultimately fell to Ernie Savage, who led the platoon through the rest of the battle. It lodged in a box of hand grenades, burning fiercely. Tom Metsker Desmond Harrington Sp4 Bill Beck Blake Heron Sp4 Galen Bungum Erik MacArthur Sp4 Russell Adams Director Randall Wallace Writers Joining us would be the Day One crew, including anchor Forrest Sawyer and producer Terry Wrong. [At night] Specialist Galen Bungum : I can't see a thing, but I can smell them. Perhaps it wasn't believable enough to pass muster with the masses. Command had fallen to a 21-year-old buck sergeant, Ernie Savage of Birmingham, Alabama. Savage, who was a squad leader with 2nd Platoon, B Co., 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, told the students how he had gone from a squad leader to leading the platoon during the battle.